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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. root — of a word
  3. squash — the sport
  4. pit — in a race
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. land — ground
  7. land — a country
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mark — a grade
  10. pit — a hole
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. root — of a plant
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. wake — a trail
  18. squash — to crush
  19. root — the cause
  20. land — to come down
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. mark — a trace
  24. squash — the vegetable

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com